The last time I ventured into a multiplayer focused anime game, Dragon Ball: The Breakers, it was incredibly disappointing in almost every department. So you can understand why I’m rather apprehensive about the recent arrival of MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE. It’s a free-to-play, battle royale offering based on the massively popular My Hero Academia universe.
Can MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE bring something fresh and quirky to the battle royale scene, or will it fail to draw players towards a waning genre?
MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE is a battle royale game which sees 24 players compete in the same arena. You won’t be going it alone however, as you’ll fight against seven other teams as part of a trio. All the while, the safe zone begins to shrink and force everyone together as you reach the climax of the match – akin to a similar feature in Fortnite and PUBG. The focus is on teamwork and to eliminate all the other teams, while surviving to become the last team standing. It really is as simple as that, and with a quick tutorial segment under your belt to teach you the basics, you’re ready for battle.
Let’s get some of the criticism out of the way early. There’s no variety in the game modes on offer, with three-person teams at the crux of everything. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to include a free-for-all or even allow teams of two to partake in the action instead, but alas it’s not possible. So, the only choice you need to make is whether to go ranked, unranked, or take on varying difficulties of AI-controlled characters.
The latter is actually very useful in getting to grips with the gameplay because although it doesn’t sound too creative so far, nor too complicated, it is in fact both and so there’s a lot to actually take in. Especially when you factor in the incredible powers – Quirks – possessed by the heroes and villains of My Hero Academia, that have been adapted for MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE. Trust me when I say that the Quirks definitely ensure an extraordinary battle ensues and it’s super easy to activate the associated skills.
The matchmaking element is excellent here and, if you lack friends, you’ll soon be partnered up with two others looking for some action. Upon venturing into a match, it’s down to you and your teammates to formulate a winning strategy using the different character types available. There are five of them to be exact: Assault, Rapid, Strike, Support and Technical. Each role gives a particular boost to the entire team, but more than that, the skills of the characters are geared up for the role.
Choosing a Support character like Cementos, for example, could prove handy with his ability to build walls and revive downed allies while protected. On the other hand, a Strike-focused Denki Kaminari can unleash a dome of electricity around him and cause paralysis with another skill. Meanwhile, the Rapid Tsuyu Asui is perfect for getting in and out of conflict swiftly using her tongue like a slingshot or by camouflaging herself.
When in the thick of the action it is rather exhilarating to witness the awesome, often bonkers, Quirk skills as teams confront each other. Having Mt. Lady growing into a gigantic version of herself is something I didn’t think would work, but it absolutely does. Heck, even gravity can be manipulated if Ochaco Uraraka is in play, which is really disorienting for opponents. But there’s more to it than just fighting, with the best laid plans relying upon what is found on the map itself.
Based on the Unforeseen Simulation Joint training facility at U.A. High School, the map is chock full of randomly placed boxes. Within these are health and guard point recovery drinks as well as cards that improve the Quirk skills. Rather interestingly, these cards are character specific and are more beneficial to them, so it encourages sharing amongst the team members. Claiming a victory is certainly much tougher without looting and stocking up on such things.
The Unforeseen Simulation Joint is a well-designed map, with the opportunity to traverse the land, trek up a mountain, and scale tall buildings. It’s more than big enough for the amount of players and it’s cool to explore the different sections within. There are plenty of places to hide out while plotting and activating items too, but eventually it does become a little tiresome. Merely due to being the sole map available. The sooner another is released, the better.
In terms of the roster, there are eighteen characters currently available, including Izuku Midoriya, All Might, Himiko Toga, Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, and the aforementioned ones. While the roster is of a decent size and every character looks as if they’ve been plucked straight from the anime, the villain’s side is seriously under-staffed. There are only four here at the moment, hence it would be good to see a few more baddies enter the fray in the future, like Twice, Stain and All for One.
As MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE is a free-to-play title, many of your favourites are locked away unfortunately. Before you get too disheartened however, developers Byking have implemented rental tickets that allow you to try whoever you wish, restocking them regularly. Furthermore, you can unlock each and every one of the characters through time and effort. That’s either by levelling up your License or via different kinds of tickets you can obtain. Of course you can speed the process up with cash, but it’s not necessary in the slightest.
Even with the full roster at your disposal, there are lots of incentives to keep playing. I’m alluding to emotes, costumes, banner cosmetics, and the season specific content you can earn. There’s also the chance to climb the leaderboards and join a guild-like agency to garner even more rewards.
Ultimately then, MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE exceeds expectations as an extraordinary take on the battle royale genre. It’s packed with many of the best heroes, and a few villains, showcasing their amazing Quirks for great, action-packed matches. Essentially, having just the one game mode type and a single map is a slight hindrance to the longevity, but thankfully there are tons of rewarding objectives to complete and seasonal passes to distract you for a while.
For free, you will have a darn good time in MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE, and won’t be too restricted by potential paywalls either.
